Retro To Future Tech… Columbia Sportswear Outerwear Preview 2015

We got a first look this past week at several pieces from Columbia’s spring 2015 line. From a new kind of zipper to a color-changing shirt, these items stood out. —Stephen Regenold

Retro Windbreaker — Direct from a 1992 catalog, Columbia pulled this design and made it new again. I tested the windbreaker for a few days and liked the fit and basic function of keeping you warmer in the wind.

1992 Columbia catalog served as motivation for retro line

The Flashback Windbreaker is not a high-performance piece and is not made to be waterproof or very breathable. But at just $39.99, the Flashback is a fun jacket. I like the “kangaroo” pocket on front and basic wear-anywhere fit as well as the retro look for 1990s nostalgia’s sake if nothing else.

But while it debuted on an Olympic shell Columbia decided to bring the zipper to the masses in 2015 with this $80 raincoat.

Columbia’s super low-profile LightRail zipper

The Sleeker rain jacket comes in men’s and women’s models. It’s a lightweight and waterproof jacket that fits nice. The LightRail zippers worked well in our test — they slide easily and are so low-profile as to hardly be there.

Sleeker rain jacket

When you sit down the jacket does not burst out like many shells can — the super flexible zippers act like seams in fabric, allowing the body of the jacket to flow comfortably as you sit, hike, or stand.

Fishing Shirt Has ‘Solar Camo’ — It’s sold as “sun-activated camouflage,” and what this fabric does is change color and pattern when hit with UV light.

Before the sun: Shirt has subdued pattern

Columbia is marketing a shirt called the Solar Camo to “help anglers blend into their surroundings while fishing” by breaking up the pattern and making a person standing in water with a pole less seeable by a passing fish.

After the sun heats the fabric: White blocks pop out of pattern

We’ll need to get in the water with a rod to test out the theory. But we did try the camo function, heating the shirt with a hair dryer and watching as the solid blue turned blocky and “camouflage” before our eyes.

The Solar Camo comes in men’s and women’s designs and costs a hefty $140. Beyond the color-change feature the shirt is a performance wicking piece with 40UPF sun protection. It is made of polyester and good looking enough to wear out of the water as well as hip-deep casting a line.

Women’s Solar Camo shirt

‘Loch Lomand’ Shell — I wore this uber-raincoat on an hour-long hike in a downpour. My shirt was dry underneath after I got back, and the breathable shell managed sweat and heat buildup from the walk.

Shower test! (We also used it outdoors)

Columbia made the Loch Lomand to be a top-shelf spring/summer/fall shell. It costs a premium $275. It fits and looks like a winter jacket, and it has a three-layer material build with a breathable membrane.

Loch Lomand is a burly rain jacket

But despite the alpine-shell look, the jacket is thinner and lighter than what most people wear in the snow. It rolls up small for carrying on a hike. Once on, you’re going to stay comfortable and dry no matter the rain.

Stephen Regenold is Founder and Editor-In-Chief of GearJunkie, which he launched as a nationally-syndicated newspaper column in 2002. As a journalist and writer, Regenold has covered the outdoors industry for nearly two decades, including as a correspondent for the New York Times. A father of four small kids, Regenold and his wife live in Minneapolis.

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